Sway control unit

Claim 2

A sway control unit for connection between a towed vehicle and a towing vehicle comprising a retarder brake unit adapted to be fixed to one of said vehicles and including a brake pad member, a brake plate member, a support plate beneath the brake pad arranged such that the brake plate member is positioned above the pad and adjustable means for clamping said bearing assembly, brake plate member, brake pad member and support plate together, whereby a desired frictional engagement can be provided between the brake pad and the brake plate during rotation of one of them with respect to the other about a common central axis; a thrust bearing between said clamping means and said brake plate; a rigid link; means for universally coupling one end of said link to the other vehicle; and means for universally coupling the other end of said link to one of said members at a point spaced from the said central axis.

Claim 3

A sway control unit for connection between a towed vehicle and a towing vehicle comprising a retarder brake unit adapted to be fixed to one of said vehicles and including a brake pad member, a brake plate member, a support plate having an irregular pad-engaging surface beneath the brake pad arranged such that the brake plate member is positioned above the pad and adjustable means for clamping said bearing assembly, brake plate member, brake pad member and support plate together, whereby the pad is deformed into the irregularities of the pad-engaging surface and a desired frictional engagement can be provided between the brake pad and the brake plate during rotation of one of them with respect to the other about a common central axis; a rigid link; means for universally coupling one end of said link to the other vehicle; and means for universally coupling the other end of said link to one of said members at a point spaced from the said central axis.

Claim 4

A sway control unit for connection between a towed vehicle and a towing vehicle comprising a retarder brake unit adapted to be fixed to one of said vehicles and including a brake pad member, a brake plate member, a support plate having an irregular pad-engaging surface beneath the brake pad arranged such that the brake plate member is positioned above the pad and adjustable means for clamping said bearing assembly, brake plate member, brake pad member and support plate together, whereby the pad is deformed into the irregularities of the pad-engaging surface and a desired frictional engagement can be provided between the brake pad and the brake plate during rotation of one of them with respect to the other about a common central axis; a rigid link; means for universally coupling one end of said link to the other vehicle; and means for universally coupling the other end of said link to one of said members at a point spaced from the said central axis.

Claim 5

A sway control unit for connection between a towed vehicle and a towing vehicle comprising a retarder brake unit adapted to be fixed to one of said vehicles and including a brake pad member, a support plate, a cylindrical brake plate member extending around the pad, above the support plate, with the pad extending above the brake plate, a compression plate on the pad above the brake plate, and adjustable means for clamping the pad between the support plate and the compression plate, whereby the pad may be expanded into preset frictional engagement with the brake plate and whereby one of said members is rotatable with respect to the other about a common axis; a rigid link; means for universally coupling one end of said link to the other vehicle; and means for universally coupling the other end of said link to one of said members at a point spaced from the said common axis.

Claim 6

A sway control unit for connection between a towed vehicle and a towing vehicle comprising a retarder brake unit adapted to be fixed to one of said vehicles and including a brake pad member, a support plate, a cylindrical brake plate member extending around the pad, above the support plate, with the pad extending above the brake plate, a compression plate on the pad above the brake plate, and adjustable means for clamping the pad between the support plate and the compression plate, whereby the pad may be expanded into preset frictional engagement with the brake plate and whereby one of said members is rotatable with respect to the other about a common axis; a rigid link; means for universally coupling one end of said link to the other vehicle; and means for universally coupling the other end of said link to one of said members at a point spaced from the said common axis.

Claim 7

A sway control unit as in claim 3, wherein the inner surface of the brake plate is irregular and the brake pad is deformable into the irregularities thereof.

Claim 8

A sway control unit as in claim 3, wherein the pad-engaging surface of the support plate is irregular and the pad is deformable into the irregularities thereof.

Claim 9

A sway control unit for connection between a towed vehicle and a towing vehicle comprising a retarder brake unit adapted to be fixed to one of said vehicles and including a brake pad member having a pad-engaging surface formed irregular, whereby the pad is deformable into the irregularities thereof, and a brake plate member and means for clamping said brake pad member and brake plaTe member together in a surface-to-surface relationship whereby one of them is rotatable with respect to the other about a common central axis; a rigid link; means for universally coupling one end of said link to the other vehicle; and means for universally coupling the other end of said link to one of said members at a point spaced from the said central axis.

Claim 10

A sway control unit for connection between a towed vehicle and a towing vehicle comprising a retarder brake unit adapted to be fixed to one of said vehicles and including a brake pad member having a pad-engaging surface formed irregular, whereby the pad is deformable into the irregularities thereof, and a brake plate member and means for clamping said brake pad member and brake plaTe member together in a surface-to-surface relationship whereby one of them is rotatable with respect to the other about a common central axis; a rigid link; means for universally coupling one end of said link to the other vehicle; and means for universally coupling the other end of said link to one of said members at a point spaced from the said central axis.

Claim 11

A sway control unit for connection between a towed vehicle and a towing vehicle comprising a retarder brake unit adapted to be fixed to one of said vehicles and including a brake pad member and a brake plate member and means for clamping said brake pad member and brake plate member together in a surface-to-surface relationship whereby one of them is rotatable with respect to the other about a common central axis; a rigid link; and means for universally coupling the rigid link comprising a socket at each end of the link having a hole centrally through the top thereof, a ball fixed to each vehicle and having a projection thereon adapted to extend through a hole in the socket when the ball is in the socket, said projections each having holes therethrough, and spring clips adapted to be inserted through the holes in the projections and to be held therein, whereby the sockets cannot be removed from the balls until the spring clips have been removed from the holes through the projections.

Claim 12

A sway control unit for connection between a towed vehicle and a towing vehicle comprising a retarder brake unit adapted to be fixed to one of said vehicles and including a brake pad member and a brake plate member and means for clamping said brake pad member and brake plate member together in a surface-to-surface relationship whereby one of them is rotatable with respect to the other about a common central axis; a rigid link; and means for universally coupling the rigid link comprising a socket at each end of the link having a hole centrally through the top thereof, a ball fixed to each vehicle and having a projection thereon adapted to extend through a hole in the socket when the ball is in the socket, said projections each having holes therethrough, and spring clips adapted to be inserted through the holes in the projections and to be held therein, whereby the sockets cannot be removed from the balls until the spring clips have been removed from the holes through the projections.

Claim 13

A sway control unit for connection between a towed vehicle and a towing vehicle comprising a retarder brake unit adapted to be fixed to one of said vehicles and including a brake pad member and a brake plate member and means for clamping said brake pad member and brake plate member together in a surface-to-surface relationship whereby one of them is rotatable with respect to the other about a common central axis; a thrust bearing between said clamping means and said brake plate; a rigid link; means for universally coupling one end of said link to the other vehicle; and means for universally coupling the other end of said link to one of said members at a point spaced from the said central axis.

Claim 14

A sway control unit for connection between a towed vehicle and a towing vehicle comprising a retarder brake unit adapted to be fixed to one of said vehicles and including a brake pad member and a brake plate member and means for clamping said brake pad member and brake plate member together in a surface-to-surface relationship whereby one of them is rotatable with respect to the other about a common central axis; a thrust bearing between said clamping means and said brake plate; a rigid link; means for universally coupling one end of said link to the other vehicle; and means for universally coupling the other end of said link to one of said members at a point spaced from the said central axis.